• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, January 30, 2020

Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired 4Cite Marketing, a data-services company in the ecommerce sector.

4Cite, with operations in Albany, New York, and Peterborough, New Hampshire, will join DAN’s Merkle, the data analytics and performance and precision-marketing agency.

4Cite positions its proprietary capabilities as tools that help retailers influence purchase activity by reaching more customers with personalized engagements. The firm also has a repository of first-party consumer information captured across its client and partner base.

The acquisition is expected to provide Merkle with a broader understanding of retail customers, which aligns with the firm’s own focus on growing its identity technology capabilities.

John Lee, Merkle’s Chief Product And Data Officer, said the company is investing heavily in first-party data technology to boost identity solutions capabilities for clients. The addition of 4Cite will “further enhance those capabilities as we position Merkle and Dentsu Aegis Network to be the authorities in people-based marketing of the future.”

Most of the other holding companies have designs on that space as well, given growing client interest.

4Cite will retain its branding. Company CEO Bob Gaito will take the role of chairman and report to Eugene Becker, Chief Data Officer, Merkle.

Craig Dempster, president, Merkle Americas, added this latest acquisition “plays a critical role in the future-proofing of our platform in a world where the third-party cookie is crumbling.”